Bow hunting and cross-bow hunting continue to provide a form of challenge and relaxation enjoyed by many. Hunters constantly seek to harvest animals in a humane way that minimizes suffering, while providing quick recovery to minimize spoilage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,557 issued Jun. 6, 1989 to Polando discloses a game tracking arrow having a segmented shaft wherein a collar is provided approximately midpoint in the shaft. The collar has a larger diameter than at least the housing in the fore part of the shaft. Therefore, as the arrow shaft continues to penetrate the animal, the collar stops the progress of the aft portion, substantially breaking the arrow into two pieces. The aft portion, which is connected to a section of string stored in the fore section, falls to the ground and the string unravels causing a trail of string to be formed. While not having the electronic portion of the at least some embodiments of the present invention, there are several other deficiencies associated with this type of device. The arrow as released from the bow needs to fly straight and true to the target. When shooting, the fore portion of the arrow almost right next to the tip sits upon a rest and is used for aiming. Any protrusion, anomaly, catch, bump, or the like can through the arrow off aim as it passes the edge upon release. Therefore, it is desirable that the arrow be straight, true, and balanced from the tip on back. Further, the Polando design requires the arrow to be divided into sections, which again, creates concern that the arrow shaft is not perfectly straight upon assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,617 issued Jun. 25, 2002 to Armold discloses a game tracking arrow wherein a transmitter is ejected from the broad-head when the tip impacts upon the target. While having a transmitter device in the broad-head, thus overcoming the disadvantages of Polando, has other disadvantages. As the mechanism for release is fore from the transmitter, it is feared that the transmitter may eject prematurely causing the transmitter to be ejected outside the animal. And if there is one thing a hunter hates, it's a premature ejection. Further, should the arrow miss the target, the transmitter becomes separated from the arrow shaft leaving the hunter with two things to look for.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,856,250 issued Feb. 15, 2005 to Hilliard shows a transmitter device which hangs on one blade of the broad-head and has a barb for lodging itself to the outside skin of the animal. This approach has several disadvantages, firstly having anything hanging off one blade can cause a significant deflection in the path of the arrow. Also, the foregoing is designed to hang on the hide outside of the animal and can be knocked off as the animal travels through brush and the like. The applicant has seen deer reach back and dislodge and remove an arrow with its teeth. It is not hard to imagine the animal being able to remove a barbed device.
U.S. Pat. App. No. 2007/0105668 published May 10, 2007 to Kikos discloses a barbed attachment mechanism near the arrow fletching. While it may not have the same issue as Polando for breaking the arrow in two, it still has the issue of disruption of the flight path as it crosses the rest, and is designed to hang on the hide outside the animal similar to Hilliard having similar drawbacks.
While these devices and others are designed to fill their respective objectives, there remains an unmet need for a delivery apparatus to deliver a payload, whither subcutaneously to assure it stays with the animal. A payload can comprise any combination of a; blank insert for broad-head load, tracking device, transmitter, explosive, incendiary, neurotoxin, CO2 cartridge, global positioning satellite (gps) device, radio device, stun capacitor, noise maker, seltzer, blood thinner, string attachment, florescent dye, and the like. It is preferred that the device comprise at least a transmitter.